We're praying for a miracle says family of missing tugman

Seconds from disaster: the tug Chieftain on the Thames just before it capsized

The family of a crewman missing in the Thames are praying that he will be found alive.

Darren Lacy, 40, is thought to have been in the engine room of the Chiefton when it capsized near Greenwich Pier on Friday. He is understood to be married with children.

His cousin, who identified herself as Sharon, wrote on a website message board: "Thank you to all who have thoughts for the families. I am desperately waiting for news, wanting it to be good news, and praying for a miracle."

The tug's two other crewmen were rescued by a speedboat.

A rescue mission by the Port of London Authority, Coastguard, RNLI, police and fire brigade was abandoned on Friday evening.

The tug is thought to have been dragged under when a barge it had been moving jackknifed.

The Chiefton's owner Palmer Marine Services, based in Gravesend, declined to comment on the accident when contacted last night.